Market Scape: Solo Walz

-- Interior Design, 7/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Kevin Walz considers himself an artist who, back in 1976, accidentally became a designer. But 32 years, 22 collections, and 100-plus projects later, the Interior Design Hall of Fame member has clearly proved that fortuity is fate. His latest flawless furnishings, launched at the New York loft-showroom of Ralph Pucci International, provide additional evidence.

The 14 designs fall into three groups. For pieces in the Wood Block series, he bonded thin strips of solid walnut or ash with epoxy prior to hand-carving—which creates a slender fluidity that's especially winning in the sculpted lines of the pull-up chairs and the tapered legs of the sideboard. Upholstery enters the picture with his Inset sofa and daybed, both covered in silk and shearling. His Disc Lights are handmade by sculptor-metalworker James DeMartis from brass tubes that are darkened, waxed, and paired with acid-etched glass.

Pucci's presentation also included references to Walz's pre-designer days: paintings in shellac on linen as well as the Insomnia series of pencil drawings, conceived during a restless night. Our advice: Keep skipping the Ambien, Kevin. 212-633-0452; ralphpucci.net. circle 404 

From top: Kevin Walz visits Ralph Pucci International in New York. A Disc Lights pendant fixture with an acid-etched glass shade shines on the lacquered walnut top of a Wood Block table.